Why You May Like The Book: Jennifer
McGowan's debut book Maid of Secrets is a delightful new addition to
the young adult genre, and is set apart from the rest of the crowd with
it's lavish historical setting and intriguing mystery. Set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth's court, and featuring a strong female lead
character, Maid of Secrets should please fans of historical romantic
fiction as well as fans of spy thrillers. For those of you who are on
the look out for a new series featuring a bold new heroine, the daring
Meg in Maids of Secrets will delight and captivate you.

My Thoughts: I thought Maid of Secrets was not only fantastic, but also a
wonderful change of pace. It was great to have not only a lead
female character, but a whole cast of secondary female characters, all
in the historical setting of Queen Elizabeth's court.

The
Setting: What is so nice about Maid of Secrets is that although it is a
historical/thriller at heart, the book never gets too bogged down with
too many period details. The pace was fast enough to keep me happily
turning the pages. The descriptions are fantastic, and leave you feeling
as if you're were also a part of Queen Elizabeth's court. I found the
court intrigue and politics fascinating as well as the mystery.

My Book Summary: Maid of Secrets takes place in England in 1559. Young Meg, who
just happens to be not only an orphan, but a fabulous pick-pocketer,
travels with the Golden Rose acting troupe taking turns acting on stage
as well as lifting anything she can fit into her pockets among London's
unsuspecting citizens. When one act of theft goes wrong, she is pressed
into a secretive royal service and trained to be one of the Maids of Honor, an
all-female guard entrusted to keep Queen Elizabeth safe from
danger. Megs loyalty to her queen as well as her friendship to her
fellow Maids of Honor will be tested when the Spanish Court arrives
bringing with it political intrigue and hidden threats to Queen
Elizabeth. As Meg uses her unique skills to try and discover who is
behind the threats to the Queen, she realizes it just may be the same
dashing Spanish Courtier she has lost her heart to.

The
Characters: I have to say that the female characters really did shine
in Maid of Secrets. Of course Meg was my favorite, with her quick-wittiness and humor she easily won me over. A true heroine to
root for. Jane, Beatrice, Sophia and Anna were all great secondary
characters, each having their own "specialty" as spies for the Queen,
making the Maids of Honor a very interesting group. Then there was of
course the majestic Queen Elizabeth herself, often just behind the
scenes, setting the stage for the courtly intrigue. And of course there
was Rafe, the daring and handsome Spanish Courtier who had some secrets
of his own. I thought he was a perfect fit as romantic interest for
Meg.

The
Romance: I really enjoyed the romance that was in Maid of Secrets, and I
liked how it never overshadowed the mystery aspect of the story, but
rather complimented it.

Swoon Level: Crush.

Swoon
Quote: "The touch of his mouth was a sparking flint strike, and suddenly
heat flooded through me like mead drunk too fast, burning its way
through my body and lifting me along a current of excitement and urgency
unlike anything I'd ever felt before. I was kissing Rafe!"

What
I Liked: I really enjoyed reading Maid of Secrets and I thought
Jennifer McGowan did a fabulouse job combining the lush historical
setting of Elizabethan Court with an intriguing thriller. The large
female cast of characters was great to see in a young adult book, and
that the focus was on loyalty and friendship instead of romance was a
nice change of pace.

What
I Had A Hard Time With: Warning! Put your thinking caps on. On a
personal note- I will tell you that the Maid of Secrets had plenty of
plot twists, and sometimes I did have a bit of trouble keeping up with
all the political intrigue, especially in the beginning of the story.

The
Ending: Jennifer McGowan does a great job giving just enough closure to
Maid of Secrets to keep the reader happy, but leaves the door open for
the next installment. I can't wait to find out more about Meg and the
mystery behind who she really is.